Wednesday, July 02, 2008

A proper introduction (which is kinda long, but I'm giving something away at the end so I would read it if I were you)

Now that bits and pieces of my newest fabric collection have spilled here and there around the internet, I thought I should formally introduce you to Garden Party! Juliana and I just finished up some new photos for the line as shown above and I am so happy with the glowi-ness of it all. I waited as long as I could in the day to have a glowing evening sunlight and came close to not having enough time for the shoot. We went to the Cheekwood Gardens here in Nashville and both ooohed and awwwed the whole time we walked around taking pics.

My thoughts for Garden Party were first and foremost inspired by the palette of beautiful things I collected as I was preparing to host a huge engagement party for an old friend last year. I was gathering flowers, cakes, linens, cocktails mixes, wines, working in the garden, and thinking ahead to what it would be like to have such an eclectic group of people in my home all to celebrate the happy couple on a sweltering hot August evening. I thought about all the elements that pull a party together, from the bouquets on the tables to the tiles on the dancefloor and the sometimes quirky, sometimes romantic combinations of different personalities meeting up for the first time. I was inspired by the optimism of the 50's and the clever swank of the 40's.

The colorways were inspired by thoughts of a sunny morning of preparations slowly growing into an afternoon of fierce anticipation and finally a night of low-lit celebration. My memories of the evening are mesmerizing...... the way the fading light intensified the gardens around our gathering and how the energy of the guests maintained through the last glass of wine. I wanted the line to be colorful, but not without mood, so I set in some deep saturated tones.

Above is the Morning Palette. I've been wanting to use this little piece of free html that attaches to a flickr set for a while. Perfect excuse and nice to not have to load all the big pic files into this post.

Above is the Afternoon Palette. You'll notice that each slide has the title and fabric style number listed below. Keep going to the right (numbered pages below icons) to see more icons in the slideshow.

And the Evening Palette. Each of the images represents about 12 x 18" of fabric. This collection is the regular lovely and versatile quilting cotton weight and 45" wide. There are a total of 44 fabrics (whew) in the whole collection. Lots and lots of possibilities!

And this is the "Garden Wall" quilt that will be available here very soon. And speaking of available, most stores will be receiving their Garden Party shipments in the next few weeks. We'll have it up in the AMShop, just as soon as I'm all rested and back from vacation. (In fact some lucky ducks have already gotten a few surprise scraps in their scrap bags!)

You know. I'll be in such a good mood by the time I get back from the beach (as opposed to all the bad moods I'm typically steaming through) that I just might feel like sending a cordial invitation, in the form of a fabric stack, for a Garden Party in your sewing studio. Perhaps to a few of you. It is a party! Anyone? Join me? Pick your favorite fabric from the collection and leave the name of it in a comment. Take your time, I'll be busy sunning my lazy bones between chasing sandy-reared children up and down the coast of South Carolina. Be back in about ten days.

I'll miss you and have fun looking, hope you love it! It is for you, after all.

1,341 comments:

I love the evening colors: guest of honor in navy and rose, dance floor in burgundy, and fanfare in gold, mingling in rose. I got married last August my colors were brown, pink, and orange. These remind me of the party! Have a wonderful vacation! Thanks for sharing your creative fabrics!

I absolutely love, love, love everything about this collection and can't wait to get my hands on it. I think my favorite is guest of honor maybe in ice though it is a tough call. I also love mingling in ice and centerpiece in olive. I have been looking for the perfect fabric for some pillows for my couch and I am so happy to have finally found them right here. Good work and thank YOU!

Lovely! Lovely! What a treat! It really captures the mood of late summer. Well it is hard to pick just one favorite - but I really love tablecloth ah19 in brown. It would make spectacular dramatic curtains in my living room.

Trying to choose a favorite from all this absolute deliciousness is near impossible. I have waited with bated breath to see the new fabrics and now my pulse is racing. You have out done yourself and I will probably go broke trying to collect it all over time. ha! Honestly it's like walking through a field of flowers and trying to pick just one as a favorite....nearly impossible. To win even scraps would be a joy!I hope you have a relaxed and wonderful holiday!

hello Anna, I have been enjoying your blog for some time now. I have an old friend designing for Michael Miller fabrics. She recommended your page. I marvel at your lovely designs and I am pleased to meet your family and see that they are still your first priority. It is hard to choose a favorite fabric. I like social climber in teal and green. I think these fabrics would make great tablecloths, pillowcases, hostess aprons or matching little girl's dresses.

Wow – what a fantastic collection! I absolutely love the dresses your girls are wearing. My favourite print at this moment (so hard to choose) would be “guest of honor” ah16 rose. Have a wonderful vacation.

As always Anna Maria, beautiful. I love the way you've separated the ranges temporally. The light on my side of the world is considerably harsher and the time of day makes such a difference to how colour looks to us. I love tablecloth ah19/brown for its boldness but I also love waltz gold/ah 17 gold for its nostalgic subtlety.

OH MY GOODNESS! How fun! I was so lucky to actually see these gorgeous fabrics in person at Market and of course meet the talented artist behind them. ;) If I had to pick one, I'd say the tablecloth print in brown... just lovely. We are heading off to vacation in a few hours too (Florida) but I just thought I'd check in on my fave blogs before taking off. Safe travels!

Hello Anna Maria, I feel like I know you, love your blog, love your style, admire your life, and can't wait to buy your book! My favorite from your collection is "Receiving Line" in teal from the Afternoon Palette. It was very difficult to narrow it down to one. I have my fingers crossed!!

Looking at all of your fabrics whilst freezing in the depths of our winter here in New Zealand I could choose any one in the 'Garden Wall' and the sun will shine. You clever girl you have blown us away again!Robyn

Social Climber- TealI decided that was my favorite before I knew I was supposed to pick one.The teal is a GORGEOUS shade and the print has such a nice vintage look to it...I want to cover everything I own in it.

Breath taking, as always!!!!It would be impossible to choose only one print as FAV, but from those in cold colorway, I just LOVE mingling / ah09 ice and from those in worm colorway, I'm choosing receiving line / ah12 green, even that they are just stunning and will go great together...and absolutely can not wait to get them!!!!!! We are going to Greece in vacation(island Thassos, beach Alyki;) and I will be thinking about you for sure!!!!Have a wonderful holidays!!!!xo, Katarina

Oh...to pick a favorite! I would have to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE the whold collection! I can't wait to get some Garden love! If I had to choose one...I think it would be Tablecloth ah19 /Brown. I love the flow of the fabric. I also enjoy reading the stories behind the design of the fabric......by readign the ispiration I seemed to be inspired of the possibilities for using the fabric. Enjoy your vacation.

I can't decide between social climber and tablecloth. All are so fantastic with such great colors. I have a stash of the sketchbook fabric (bought from pink by post), and I am trying to decide how to best use that one!-- Michele

Anna,The rich hues in your garden party quilt are so wonderful. I love rich colour and so often it is very difficult to find in especially cotton. Your newest collection is wonderful. I especially love fanfare ah10 blue. The bluish torquoise with the burgundy red is so my favorite combination lately! I can already see a quilt in it!Cheers to a wonderful vacation with the family. I truly hope you can enjoy!Thank you for sharing your wonderful creations.Paula :)

These are all so beautiful. What I love about your fabric collections is how everything coordinates, but isn't too "matchy-matchy". If I want to use only your line of fabric in a quilt, it looks beautiful, with out looking like I only used one line.

I would have to say my favorites are "fanfare" and "guest of honor". Really gorgeous!

Centerpiece in olive, no wait, social climber, no wait...I have too many favorites to choose from! Oh how much fun I imagine it to be to release such beautiful fabric. It seems like the best party to me. Congratulations!

How to choose? They're all lovely and I'll love them even more once I have the lovies in my hand...but I think I like the Centerpiece/olive...love the colors! Great job. And the pillowcase dress tutorial is perfect! Thank you.

Wildly beautiful! I am banned from sewing until I finish a thesis but I have a gorgeous friend who could do with some cheering up. I know she would love it all but I reckon centrepiece ah15 navy or guest of honor ah16 rose would be somewhere at the top of her list. Hope you had a wonderful, salty time.

Oh dear. Pick ONE favorite?! Those lovely saturated berry reds are calling my name, but I'm going to go with Guest of Honor in navy. Wouldn't that make a fabulous table cloth? It'd be worth buying new china to put on top. I've been reading your blog for months and forwarding it to friends - even ones who don't quilt or sew. There's so much to enjoy in what you write and create. And I'm a sucker for posts featuring Leo the Labrador.

so beautiful! all of them. i have to say my favorite after going through every one of them (several times, i might add!) is guest of honor/ah16 ice. the crispness, the cool tone, the print itself... it's gorgeous.

whether or not my comment is chosen, i am very pleased to wish you congratulations on a beautiful collection.

I like tablecloth AH19green, but to make us choose a favorite - come on - that's almost cruel. They are ALL so beautiful and that quilt - OH THAT QUILT! Thanks for the great line and thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

It's so nice to finally get a good look at garden party. I've seen bits and pieces around the internet, but only enough to make my mouth water.

I'm definitely attracted most to the morning party set. It's so light. I adore the dots but would have to say my favorite print is the turquoise centerpiece... it just looks like it hold so many possibilities for bags and garments!

SO unfair - I'm still sroking the fabric I have from Drawing Room, and Now THIS. I hope you have a lovely time on vacation. I will be spending the time drooling over yur latest strokes of brilliance. Thank you for sharing this with us. I am in love. I don't know how I could possibly pick a favorite. It would be like choosing a favorite child (and they aren't even my own children.) I'll stop gushing now...just needed to swoon a bit before regaining my composure, and wipe the drool from my lip so I can start dreaming of sweltering evenings and glowing mornings and all the loveliness your collections inspire! (Beautiful girls, in beautiful clothing, as well!)

Oh you make it so hard to pick with all those beautifully vibrant colors and patterns. AND...the story behind it all makes it so much more personal. After much deliberation guest of honor in ice is my favorite!Have a great vacation.

I would love having some of each:D They are wonderful and I have had a hard time finding them online! My favorite is "Social Climber" in teal! I can see so many creations done in this fabric:D I am thinking of doing over a bedroom in this fabric with coordinating fabrics:D

I love the dancefloor pattern in all colors! What a great print for so many things! I can see it in clothing and a quilt. The whole line is YUMMY, can't wait to pet some of it and dream of the things I can make with it when my kids sleep at night!

The fabric line is just great. I can't wait to find it in the shops that I go to. Especaily the receiving line in lime. . . I can't wait to figure out something to make with that. I'm loving the the pillow case dress. Now I'm hopeing to find some cool cases to convert for my babe

Mingling in gold!! But I am such an orange girl, I'll snatch up anything in orange. This entire collection is so fabulous, I know I'll not be able to resist the first time I see it in one of my favorite shops!!

I love every single one of these new fabrics. You've really outdone yourself with this new collection. It's so exciting! My favorite is Guest of Honor in Navy. So vibrant and lively! Hope you have a wonderful vacation on the beach.

I am not sure I can find a favorite fabric design. They are all wonderful. You have such a talent. I cannot wait to get crafty with the fabrics. Would love to win a fabric stack that I could get started with. Franklin, TN

My goodness, so many beautiful combinations of colors and patterns. I love the morning and afternoon palettes, the olive, rose and blues mesh together so well. Too many choices! You designed wonderful fabric! Enjoy your vacation.

These are awesome. I love the story behind the collection! It made sense as I was looking through each set and the anticipation did start to build. I think I would cover anything I own in the evening collection. So beautiful!

Receiving line..ice...hmmm...mingling in teal...I'm not sure I can decide. Of course I love them all. This is a beautiful line. I can see it in so many things. Any one would work for me! Congratulations!

I know if I saw one or two of these in a store that I'd be drawn to them. But, with them all displayed here it is waaaay too hard to choose a favorite. I love each palate for their very own reasons. 'Centerpiece' is a favorite because of it's intricacy- yet it doesn't look "cluttered". Yet, I'm normally a simpler person- so the less ornate patterns like 'mingling' make me super happy. Job well done, Anna Maria!

It's very hard to say which one is prettier or even to choose one. I spen a lot of time checking and rechecking them so I could try and find one I could say liked the most. After a really hard job, I would say, if I have to choose one, it would be "mingling/ah09 ice". I loved the sublty design and the cool colours. REally a beautiful work. Congratulations.

So hard to pick! I love Mingling in every color way, but Social Climber is so fun too. And Centerpiece is gorgeous...especially in navy. Too many to pick a favorite! Have a wonderful, relaxing beach trip Anna Maria.

Wow, you have truly outdone yourself here. 44 fabrics is crazy awesome! I must admit that my favorite is Guest of Honor in ice. I love the contrast of the light blue to the bold bright white. Thank you!

All the vibrant colours leave me breathless. Congratulations on a beautiful collection. I love them all. I'm off to the beach also. We leave Saturday and expect to be in a wonderful relaxed mood also. Count me in for a chance at an invitation. Once again congratulations and have a fantastic holiday.

So so SO nice! I kept choosing the centerpiece and tablecloth patterns in different colorways. Centerpiece in olive and tablecloth in brown. Okay, if I HAVE to choose . . . umm, so hard, tablecloth in brown. There. Decisiveness in action. Beautiful job Ms. Horner.

Fanfare ah10 gold is my favorite. Heading to Kiawah Island on SC coast myself with my little ones and extended family as well this week! There's nothing quite like a lazy summer beach vacation. Enjoy some much deserved time off with your family.

of course this will all change as i get the actual fabrics in my hands, but looking at the photos i absolutely love the centerpiece pattern in teal or navy. ha! the only two i can't find anywhere! hurry, make more, make more! brilliant fabric!

Oh My! Pick just one??!! I just can't. I'm drooling over the lot of them! If I absolutely had to pick just one....I'd say centerpiece and probably in navy (if I had to go with just one!!) i can't wait to get my hands on these! They'll make fabulous dresses, oh and new pillows and chairs for my studio!Thanks for another great line Anna Maria!

Fanfare and socialclimbing!! I love them all. I that beautiful dress in your first photo. I can also see some great pillows to add color anywhere. Hmm, maybe even a new doggy bed! The patterns are all gorgeous.

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